Contractions at the end of a sentence. (meaning, examples, quote)

[Stumbler.]

I remember talking with a friend of mine about this. There seems to be an unwritten rule about putting contractions broadly speaking, at the end of a sentence, but its interesting how some contractions sound more awkward and ungainly than others.

For example, this

If he can't do it, he won't.

sounds more awkward than

If he won't do it, I'll.


This sounds somewhat decent:

He loves to run, but she doesn't.

but this doesn't:

I'm not a runner but you're.


I wonder if there's a reason for this, or at least why we perceive it. My friend reckons that it's since sometimes contracting makes the statement sound "too weak" such as removing emphasis on the "you are." or "I will". But then for some reason, "won't" and "doesn't" do not seem to sound too bad.

[krasa]

Because in the first sentence (If he can't do it, he won't) the reciprocal relation is broken, IMO.

[figmalt]

Originally Posted by Stumbler.

I remember talking with a friend of mine about this. There seems to be an unwritten rule about putting contractions broadly speaking, at the end of a sentence, but its interesting how some contractions sound more awkward and ungainly than others.

For example, this

If he can't do it, he won't.

sounds more awkward than

If he won't do it, I'll.


This sounds somewhat decent:

He loves to run, but she doesn't.

but this doesn't:

I'm not a runner but you're.


I wonder if there's a reason for this, or at least why we perceive it. My friend reckons that it's since sometimes contracting makes the statement sound "too weak" such as removing emphasis on the "you are." or "I will". But then for some reason, "won't" and "doesn't" do not seem to sound too bad.

Actually, for me, the first sentence is less awkward than the second.

A couple of thoughts:

1. I think you're right that it has largely to do with stress. The sentence "I'm not a runner but you're a runner," sounds perfectly fine to me, but like you said, "I'm not a runner, but you're." is weird.

2. Negatives should be considered separately from other verbs, because they're less a verb and more a negative. That is, there is no real meaning in the construction "do not," except negation. "I don't like that" simply means that "I not-like that." One is not "doing" anything. English used to use [verb + not] constructions, more like French and Spanish, but we eventually evolved to using mostly auxiliaries ("do not, "have not," "are not," "can not", "will not," "should/could/would not") for negation, plus a few fossilized holdover phrases: "I think not/He loves me not."

[jdavid93225]

Originally Posted by Stumbler.

If he won't do it, I'll.

I'm not a runner but you're.

In both of these instances, the sentences sound incomplete. I believe it is because there is an expectation with these contractions that more will follow.

In the first example, the sentence could continue in a manner such as this:
If he won't do it, I'll (tell his boss).
or
If he won't do it, I'll (get his wife to do it).

The sentence is completed by stating "If he won't do it, I will." This is because the "do it" that would come at the end of the sentence is implied. When you end the sentence with a contraction, as in your example above, the end of the sentence isn't implied.

The second example is much the same. For instance:

I'm not a runner, but you're more of one than I.
or
I'm not a runner, but you're less of one than I.

If you say, "I'm not a runner, but you are." then the implication in this example is that you are what I am not. I believe that ending the sentence with a contraction negates the implied meaning.

[Nighteyes]

Originally Posted by jdavid93225

I believe that ending the sentence with a contraction negates the implied meaning.

Or perhaps, as illustrated by your examples, it obfuscates the meaning. This is very much like the punch-line to the old joke, "What do you get when you cross an elephant with a rhinoceros?" The answer -- "Elephino." (Say it aloud.)